Content warning: This film documents the 1939 New York World's Fair, which featured racist and ableist ethnological expositions that put non-western people and people with disabilities on public display, often emphasizing the supposed inferiority and "primitive" nature of those cultures and peoples. Additionally, this film contains intertitles and images that use a pejorative term to describe short statured people/little people/ people with dwarfism.

Amateur film of the New York World's Fair (1939-40) featuring several exhibits in the Amusement Area.


LEGACY SHOT LIST:
Amateur film of the New York World's Fair (1939-40).
Reel 2. Marked "Amusement #2: Aquacade and Nude Shows."

Detailed documentation of the "World of Tomorrow" in Kodachrome. Highlights "Little Miracle World"- little people, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, various racy, burlesque performances.
Vehicle transporting passengers to amusement area. WS Fair parachute jump, Trylon & Perisphere (scratchy) Boat POV crossing Fountain Lake. Hats of passengers traveling to amusement area.

CU distorted female funhouse face. Title: Amusement Area filmed in order of layout, starting on northerly side. WS Magician at stand. Guili-Guili King of Magic- magician in fez standing on stage with woman. Barker speaking into microphone. Man pulling long string of small flags out of his mouth. Giant New York Post headline welcoming "Mr. & Mrs. America" to Fair. 10 cent foot massage stand. Hollywood Doubles. Baby Incubators. Bathysphere. Advertisements for Panda bear "Pic." Time and Space building.

Scary clown in policeman costume posing with young girl. Barker in sombrero speaking next to young woman at "Enchanted Forest" stand. Small dark image of a nude dancer inside stand. "Glass Blowers of the World" pavilion.

Little Miracle Town- little people area. Crowd gathered outside ticket booth. Paying visitors walking through area, watching little people "acting normal" - playing table tennis, relaxing outside small houses. Couple dancing on stage.

Macy's Toyland, Hobby Lobby booths. Man driving motorized cart past stands. PAN across illustrated ads for freak show stunts labeled "hobbies." (breathing fire, lighting hands on fire, hamburger turned to stone, etc.)

Title: "Children's World." Children riding carousel. Monkey in hat & vest standing & walking on leash, held by organ grinder or calliope player. Monkey interacts with children- taking food from hand of young girl. Swan Boat Ride. Children riding in back of swan-shaped boat on pond. Ferris wheel. Children on car carousel ride. Huskies pulling children in wheeled cart in Eskimo Village. Children sitting on spinning metal ride.

Barker speaking to crowd outside Arizona Cliff Dwellers pavilion. (signs for Indian & snake). Artwork on exterior of dome. Marquee and painted ads for Bill "Bojangles" Robinson "Hot Mikado" show. Faces of Bojangles and a racist image of a Black waiter. Two large dice hanging outdoors. "Hot Mikado" production- WS dancers on stage performing on exotic set in colorful costumes.

Aquacade follies. Large photos of performers- Olympic swimmers Eleanor Holm, "Aquagals," Johnny "Tarzan" Weismuller. Crowd in stadium bleachers. WS Aquacade performers in matching outfits entering in front of large backdrops, dancing. Conductor and band playing in small alcove. Female singer performing with dancers, dancers walking around pool in light blue & yellow costumes.("Billy's Rosebuds")Eleanor Holm & Morton Downey speaking at microphone. She removes dress over yellow swimsuit, dives into pool & swims. Female performers in swimsuits with parasols. Line of female swimmers in caps diving into pool- swimming in circle, performing synchronized routines. Men performing stunt high dives (some slo-mo) past orchestra in alcove. Somersaults, backflips. Men & women in Victorian costumes dancing- couple on tandem bicycle. Woman in flowing black gown singing. Women in red checkered dresses & hats. Johnny Weismuller speaking at microphone, costumed clown firemen, etc. Weismuller on diving board with Billy Kreuger. Kreuger hanging off board, clowning around. Slo-mo profile man doing springboard stunt dive. Fat man chasing person off board & falling off. Person slipping off end of board. Person pushing fat man in chair off board. Woman in strange hoop skirt costume with tree branches. WS dancing revue- couples dancing off on pool promenade. Man & woman swimming laps in pool as dancers pose motionless behind them. Male & female swimmers diving into pool in line and swimming in formation. Chorus line of dancers kicking in time. "Construction worker" performers roughhousing with boards, fake hammers, etc. Grand Finale- People carrying state flags. Women in red, white & blue gowns walking down stairs, around pool, unfurling giant US flag.

Merrie Old England section of Fair. Replicas of British landmarks at Fair. Irish Linen handkerchief shop, Old Curiosity Shop, sign advertising crown jewels on display. Man in cowboy hat with performing dog. People sitting in bleachers. Woman playing accordion. Man doing bicycle stunts. Man stepping around bicycle as it falls apart. Female Scottish bagpipe band in kilts, caps playing.

"George Jessel's Old New York" stand. Painted sign of chorus girls. Female dancers perform on stage by replicas of New York neighborhood buildings, storefronts, alleys. 1896 presidential campaign banners for Democratic nominees W.J. Bryan, Sewall, Republican nominees W. McKinley, Garret Hobart. Bijou movie theatre. Carriage on street. Antique store. Organ grinder with monkey on leash. Man posing for portrait with head over old-time suit backdrop. Horse shoe stand. Carriage. Boy watching old man with realistic dog hand puppet over arm. Chinatown Cafe. The Bowery- barker speaking outside burlesque show with female dancers. Swiveling female mannequins on stage. Barker points to mannequin breasts. Barker and masked women outside "Colgom's Alley Life Class." Photo of male artist with nude female models. Signs for freak show- India Rubber Man, Fat Lady. Barker speaking beside woman wearing headdress, veil. She sings at microphone as crowd gathers. Barker smiles, waves his cane.

Outdoor performances- Female dancers. Strong man and dwarf. Male gymnasts. Fat women in red dresses dance on stage. Woman dancing in fringed skirt, bikini, red flower in hair. Group of young boys sitting & watching show. Man juggling plates with clown. Female burlesque dancer. VS crowds watching, smiling. Male & female acrobats. Female dancers performing the Can-Can.

Giant cash register (National Cash Register pavilion that displayed daily Fair visitor count). Woman in satin robe posing in outside window for "Living Magazine Covers" display. She buffs her legs with powder pad, turns in front of window. Inside- weird VS topless & nearly nude female models posing in magazine-themed windows- cross-country skiing, riding a saw horse, etc. "Romantic Life," "Buccaneer," etc.

EXT: Artists' Village. Silver Streak amusement ride. WS canopy ride. Couple entering canopy car. Excellent canopy POV Fairgrounds through bars- Constitution Mall, windmill, midway amusement rides- Cyclone roller coaster, Parachute Jump. monkey zone. Spinning tether ride.
Frank Buck's Jungleland. Black drummers in African tribal costumes playing congas, talking drums on stage. Man sitting on top of elephant's head. Man in safari hat sitting beside monkey with sunglasses, sailor hat and cigar. Children in crowd watching intensely. Baboon in overalls combing its hair (forced by man). VS crowd watching, back of spectators' clothing. Rock tower for monkeys. VS rhesus macaque monkeys moving & jumping through puddles, sitting on stone ridges of tower, tearing & licking cardboard boxes, plates. CU monkey standing in dirty water looking up.

Children, man with camera taking camel rides, led by Arabian man. Exotic bird. EXT: Nature's Mistakes sign- VS cow drawings. Water-Bugs- People in steerable inner tubes on water.
EXT: Amazon Theatre. Chester Hale's "Extasie" production. Barker & three female performers in blue robes. INT: Exotic dancers performing on stage with tassels, veils. Salome dance (Seven Veils).

Fountain Lake at night. Fireworks.

plus-circle Add Review

comment

Reviews